What Happens In Cuba
by spinzgirl
Summary: Takes place the same day as Sink or Swim. The first chapter is Keith and Allura working things out together. The second chapter is Lance's reaction to it. Next Chapter: "...doesn't stay in Cuba"
1. Chapter 1

Keith sat propped against the headboard, the remote control aimed at the large flat screen TV mounted on the far wall. He'd flipped through all the channels twice and was beginning a third go-round when the hotel phone rang. Sliding less than gracefully across the satiny sheets he tried to put on a calm air when he answered the call, just in case it was _her_.

"Keith here."

Perfect.

"Hey, mah man! It's Lance!" came the voice across the line. The boy's cheerfulness knew no bounds and right now it was like sandpaper on a sunburn.

"What do you want?" Keith groaned, not even trying to hide his annoyance. "I already told you I'm not going to your house to watch movies."

Lance refused to take no for an answer. "C'mon! Matt and Romelle are joining us! Go grab Allura and get over here!"

"Did the Princess say she wanted to go?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Voices in the background indicated that Pidge and Hunk were trying to talk her into the outing at the same time. "Allura just asked if you're going too," came the reply.

Keith was playing a game of chance now. If he gave his answer and she gave the opposite he couldn't very well change his mind afterwards. That would be too obvious. But she specifically asked if he was going. Did that mean she'd go if he went? Or that she'd go if he didn't?

Did she want to be where he was or where he was not?

 _Gah!_

"Um, Keith, you still there?" Lance asked. Apparently Keith had been quiet for too long.

"Oh, right, sorry. Something on TV caught my attention," he said, adding before he hung up, "I think I'll stay here and watch it."

That was a lie. He was watching what looked to be a Cuban infomercial for a fancy knife set. Well, maybe he would watch it for a little bit. He scooted back to the middle of the king size bed and watched the presenter slice through a tomato. Lame. He'd seen knives that cut through rock after all.

If garrison wasn't footing the bill for the rooms he would have considered checking out the adult pay-per-view options. Not that he should complain; since Pidge and Hunk decided to stay at Lance's place Keith had at least gotten a room to himself. The young lady at the front desk upgraded him from two queens to a king suite, offering him a balcony with a view of the beach.

He was thinking of going out to sit and watch the sunset when the phone rang again. He rolled back to the bedside table and picked up the receiver before slamming it back down. Then he quickly crossed to the sliding glass door, opening it just enough to squeeze out onto the mezzanine then closing it quickly behind him. The last thing he wanted were bugs in the room.

The sky was already painted a brilliant reddish orange color as he sat in the lounger that offered the best view. The breeze blew cold and he began to regret not grabbing his jacket before stepping out. Keith shivered a bit as he wished he had something to warm him. Or someone.

Not just someone. Allura.

His mind flashed back to the events of the day. How her warm body felt pressed flush up against his. Her warm, soft body. The memory of it sent another shiver down his body, but this time it felt different. Good, even.

Before he realized it his hand had halfway tucked itself into the waistband of his shorts. God, was he going to do that in a public place? There were people milling all around the resort, for goodness sake. Allura was even standing there, looking straight at him.

 _Wait._ _Why was Allura standing there looking straight at him?_

Jerking his hand out he stood quickly, moving to the wrought iron railing to get a better view.

"What are you doing down there?" he called to her.

She stopped short, crossing her arms to match her cross features. "Trying to get in your room as a matter of fact."

Had he heard that correctly? Keith pressed his fingers to his ears, attempting to squish out any remaining water that could impair his sense of sound. "Sorry, you what?" he asked, leaning further to hear her response.

"Let. Me. In. Your. Room." Oh, he heard it that time for sure.

He gave her a quick thumbs up and rushed back into his room. It would take her a few minutes to get up to his room from the lobby level so he frantically grabbed his dirty clothes from the bathroom floor and threw them into the closet. Then he flipped through the channels to a classic movie about rebel fighters in space. Allura might watch it, and all the fighters zooming around blowing things up would be a distraction from the fact that she would be in his room after what he said to her today.

"No no no no no no no. Don't think about it. Watch the movie, Keith. Do NOT think about the Princess do not look at the Princess do not talk to the Princess. Wait, what if she wants it? But why would she want it? She hates you, idiot. You said something stupid and blew your chances."

On a typical day Keith wouldn't talk aloud to himself. This was not a typical day. This was the day when everything he'd wanted could possibly happen. And he was absolutely, one-hundred percent not ready for it. He hadn't even showered since he got back from the beach.

 _Fuuuuuuuck._

He was in the process of praying she'd forgotten his room number when a knock shook the door. At this point he could only surmise she was not visiting to have fun. But she knew he was there, so he cautiously opened the door and invited her in.

"I thought you were joking," she snorted, tossing her backpack on the bed.

Keith's mind lost any ability to form a retort. Was she referring to his invitation? Trying to process a thought now was like when he learned to drive a stick shift for the very first time. Lots of false starts and eventually the engine just stalled out.

As he stood there, mouth agape, Allura turned her back to him. She lifted up her hair revealing a toned back and the very flimsy straps he'd been so kind to retie for her earlier. Was she really just going to go for it? Don't Alteans have some sort of foreplay?

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You tied these stupid things, and I can't untie them," she replied angrily. "I thought you were joking when you said I'd need your knife to get out of this."

 _Oh, right. That._

He started to reach for the top knot, pausing inches from the base of her neck. "Why didn't you ask Coran for help? Or Romelle?"

Allura's shoulders dropped a touch, her answer coming much quieter than before. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Coran is nursing a nasty sunburn, and Romelle left for Lance's before I realized. So, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate the help."

Now Keith felt bad for making _her_ feel bad. "Sure, I'll give it a shot."

After a few minutes of cursing under his breath he finally acknowledged that the ties weren't budging for him.

"My fingernails are too short, I need something else."

"You are not using that knife!" she exclaimed, turning her head just enough to give him a harsh glare before turning back. "Don't you have anything else? What do you usually use?"

Keith decided it was now or never. He didn't think Allura had come all the way to his room for a measly tie. Leaning in so his mouth was barely touching the shell of her ear he gave her his honest answer.

"My teeth."

The visible shiver that ran up her spine caused Keith to smirk to himself.

 _Bingo._

"Oh, well, I suppose you could use the knife."

That was all he needed to hear. Walking over to the glass doors he pulled the curtain to give them privacy, then proceeded to retrieve his blade from the drawer by the bed.

Allura looked to the closed drapes then to Keith. "Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice breathier than before.

As Keith resumed his position behind her he closed the gap so that his chest was less than an inch from her back. "I thought you might not want the people outside to see you naked," he answered before taking a step backwards.

Still holding her hair up with her left hand, her right hand moved to push a stray strand behind her ear. Her hand was shaking slightly and Keith wanted to hold it so badly right now. But he also knew that's not really what either of them wanted right now.

Sliding the flat of the cold blade under the red strands he could see the skin on her back rise with the chill of it. The snap of the strap as it was cut caused her to jump slightly, and her right arm flew across her chest to hold the top in place. He repeated the step on the tie around her neck, being careful to only cut the string.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, his nose hovering painfully close to the curve of her shoulder.

The Princess inhaled sharply, nodding her approval. He'd never known her to be speechless and desperately hoped it was only temporary. Her voice did things to him and he wondered what it would sound like when she was in the throes of passion.

Slowly he placed his lips to the crook of her neck, holding back a laugh when she squirmed. Allura must be ticklish there, he thought. Good to know. He continued up her neck to her jawbone, running his tongue along the base of it as she turned her head to face him.

"Is this okay?"

Allura turned and looked up at him, her eyes meeting his for the first time since she'd entered his room. "I'll let you know if it isn't."

"Then let's use a safe word," Keith offered. When she gave him a quizzical look he explained. "It's a word you wouldn't normally say, so if I get out of line say it and I'll stop."

She paused for a moment before coming to a decision. "Lotor."

As much as that should have bothered Keith, he knew by the look on her face that there was no love left for the Galra madman. Letting out a breezy laugh he agreed to her terms.

"I can guarantee that will ruin the mood, no problem." He winked at the Princess to let her know he was sincerely okay with it.

At that she gave him a smile, but then a concerned look shaded her face as she looked around the room. "Do you have a shower by any chance?"

Keith realized that she, too, hadn't washed the day off properly. As he thought the beach showers were okay for rinsing but not a proper cleaning. Luckily he could take care of her here.

He walked her into the bathroom and watched amused as she marvelled over the size of it. Not only was there an giant bathtub with jacuzzi, the shower was massive. He imagined the whole team could fit in it, not that he'd ever want to try.

Walking over to the shower, he opened the glass door to turn on the water. Once it was at a comfortable temperature he motioned to the Princess to enter.

"What are you going to do while I shower?" she asked as she dragged her palm over his chest.

Keith swallowed hard as her fingers reached for the hem of his shirt, sliding underneath to feel the hard muscle of his stomach. Her fingernails dragged along his waist, just under the band of his shorts. He was thanking the stars that he'd decided to go commando today, the stretchiness in his pants allowing for the arousal stirring within.

"I'm going to watch," he responded cooly.

Allura's curious glance prompted him to place a soft kiss on her forehead. He was beginning to realize that they'd not actually touched lips once today, and he feared he understood why. The image of that purple villain in his head would certainly put a damper on things. So for now he would express his feelings for her as fully as possible until there was no room for anyone else in her mind.

Playfully he tugged at her lone arm that held up the remnants of her shield, allowing the torn cloth to drop at their feet.

She really was a beauty. He'd seen naked women before, imagined seeing _her_ naked before. And yet he was not prepared. Not in the least. Any thoughts he'd had that she looked like the average human woman was blown away. Men fought wars for less.

His admiration was briefly interrupted by the flash of t-shirt blocking his vision. Allura didn't seem to enjoy being mostly naked by herself and roughly jerked the shirt over Keith's head. He rather quickly surrendered, having instinctively lifted his arms to assist her.

Now they stood, undressed from the waist up, steam filtering into the room from the shower.

"Hurry before the water gets cold," he scolded teasingly, grabbing her shoulders to turn her to face the glass door. Hooking his thumbs in the narrow sides of her bathing suit bottom, he shimmied it downward, his lips leaving a trail down her spine as he lowered himself to a squatting position. After she stepped out of the swimwear he took a quick moment to squeeze her ass before smacking it.

The Princess let out the cutest yelp before reaching up to free her hair from the band that was holding it aloft. The soft curls dropped to surround him, filling his sight with their cloud-like billowing. He hoped to fall asleep cradled in the comfort of the strands. Later.

Not now. _Oh dear god not now._

He watched closely as she stepped into the stream, letting the water drench her as she ran soapy fingers through her long hair. After she sufficiently rinsed it out she grabbed a sponge from the hook and slathered it with soap. She reached to pull her hair forward, exposing her back, then pushed open the shower door.

"A little help?" was all she asked. Keith knew what she needed.

Shedding his shorts, he stepped into the shower and relieved her of the bath sponge. Slowly he slid it across her shoulders and neck, gradually working his way down her back. His hand slipped around her side to her belly; she lifted her arms up and back to hook around his neck and stretch her torso, allowing him better access. He could feel the heat of her back against his chest as he circled her breasts, dragging the suds across them to brush her hardened nipples.

At some point he had lost the sponge. He hadn't realized at first that his hands were doing all of the work, and if Allura noticed she said nothing. If she wasn't going to complain there was no good reason to stop. His fingers worked their way down to her mound, pressing into the deep canyons between it and her thighs. The tiny moans she emitted worked their way from his ears to his loins.

"You're done, go dry off and wait for me on the bed," he instructed, kissing the top of her head.

She returned the affection, tilting her head back to kiss his chin. He couldn't help but stare as she toweled off, loosely wrapping herself before leaving the bathroom. For his part he washed himself in record time, still taking care to come out smelling nicer than he had going in.

He checked himself in the mirror quickly before exiting to the bedroom, wondering what sight might greet him.

* * *

Allura scrutinized herself in the mirror over the dresser. Keith had seen her only a minute ago and yet she checked to see that everything looked as good as possible. Her skin was still tingling from the touch of his fingertips as she slipped under the thin bedsheet. Every other piece of bedding had been pushed haphazardly to the floor at the foot of the bed the second she left the bathroom.

When Keith walked through the doorway he was still dripping wet, his long hair pushed back from his face in a way that made him even more enticing. She turned on her side, head propped on her hand, for a better look at his chiseled form. He smiled down at the sight of her form under the silky white sheet, lifting up the edge to slide in to join her.

She noticed that he didn't make a move to kiss her. Not that she could blame him, but still hoped tonight would get them past that. The one time they had was amazing and for weeks it had invaded her thoughts. She wanted to feel that again.

Surprisingly he didn't lay down next to her, instead sitting up against the headboard. Granted this was her first time but she really did not know what to do next. Keith seemed to sense, this, drawing her to him with a simple raised brow. As she sat up she felt his strong arm wrap around her, pulling her facing him into his lap.

Although she'd earlier been distracted by his newly acquired warrior form, there was no missing the size of his erection. Now that it was pressed between them she could better appreciate its length. She ground her belly into his and revelled in the low moans he made. While she didn't want to rush things it was getting more difficult to hold back.

Keith seemed in less of a hurry, running his hands over her back as his mouth worked its way from her neck to her bust, leaving a burning trail in its wake. He bared his teeth and teasingly bit at her flesh while his fingers reshaped the geography of her breasts. But it was his tongue sweeping over her nipple that sent her over the edge.

"Are we going to quiznak or what?" she asked desperately, her hands tightly grasping the sides of his face.

He didn't respond for a moment, allowing one hand to slide down over the curve of her ass to her damp folds. She inhaled sharply as a finger wormed its way in, dipping in and out as it made a sound that gave away just how wet she was.

"So that **is** what that word means," he responded, a bit too relaxed for her liking.

"Well, what do _you_ call it then?"

"Fucking," his voice rumbled into her chest. "Are you asking me to fuck you?"

Allura had never heard the word before and yet it had already been etched into the walls of her mind with a chisel as ancient as the practice yet as sharp as her senses at that moment. The scent of his breath, the sound of skin brushing skin, the feel of a stoked furnace. The taste. Now he tasted of hotel branded soap but she wanted to wash that away until he left a salty flavor on her tongue.

Most of all she wanted to see him. His angular features that had sharpened with age. Ebony locks that enhanced his violet eyes. Muscles that had become more defined in his long absence.

 _He looked like a god._

Taking a page from his book she leaned in close to his ear, whispering her answer. "I want you to fuck me. Make me yours."

Keith's response was swift, lifting her up by her hips to line her opening up with the tip of his penis, slowly lowering her down a short distance before lifting her back up again. He repeated this several times, each one pushing him further into her. The gasps and moans were coming at such a pace she lost track of who was making the sounds. All she knew was that the more she got, the more she wanted.

Nothing prepared her for this. It was as if the quintessence that flowed through her had burst into flames that licked at every atom in her being. There was no part of her that didn't want to beg for more, to be locked in the moment for eternity. Her hands flew to grasp the headboard for fear she might hurt Keith if she touched him.

Once he was completely inside her she took over, using her arms and legs for leverage as she pushed harder each time. Keith resumed alternately sucking on her tits and biting at her nipples, bringing her to the brink. He must have sensed it and paused a moment, his lust tinged eyes locking on hers.

"Are you ready to finish now?" he asked, "Or do you want to try something else?"

As close as she felt, there was no rush to end this. "What do you have in mind?"

Without pulling himself out of her, Keith moved them to the edge of the bed and stood, his arms lifting the Princess with him. He carried her across the room to a black leather chaise lounge that had a soft blanket draped across it. Once he'd spread it out to cover most of the seat he gently lowered her onto it, kneeling on the floor between her legs.

Using his hand he lightly pushed her to lie down, his hands stroking her as he began to thrust into her. Keith let out a groan as he began to thrust harder, faster. His visage changed, his jaw set and his eyes focused. She worried that he wouldn't last long like that, the feeling of fullness growing with each push. Sitting up she pushed him back, finally breaking their bond.

For a moment he looked concerned, as if he was afraid he'd hurt her unintentionally. A sly smile and a wink seemed to alleviate his concern as Allura stood then lowered herself onto all fours. Keith knelt behind her, painting her ass with sweet kisses before entering her once again.

This angle felt very different, and his size forced a sharp gasp from her lips.

"You like this?" he asked, his voice even lower than usual. "What do you want me to do."

Allura was a mess of thoughts and desires and could barely articulate. "Fuck me as hard as you can," was all she could muster at the moment.

"As you wish."

Keith leaned over her as he pushed into her at a frantic rate. One hand was grasping her breast, the other had found her nub and was bringing her to near climax. The feeling of his manhood pulsing inside her, his warm seeding filling her, toppled Allura. Words that no Princess should ever say came spilling from her mouth like a fervent prayer.

Once they'd regained their bearings Keith slid himself out of her, and Allura couldn't help but whimper at the loss of him. She sat back on her haunches for a moment before attempting to stand, her legs still feeling like they'd be incapable of holding her up. Two strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into him once again. HIs heart was pounding so that she could feel it and wondered if the beats matched her own.

"How are you feeling, Princess?"

Allura hummed thoughtfully before answering. "I feel like doing that again."

She felt his forehead fall onto her shoulder, his hair tickling her skin. "Can I have five minutes first?" he begged jokingly.

His response elicited a giggle from her and she reached around to smack him on the ass. "I'm feeling generous, you can have ten."

The room filled with laughter and the two collapsed onto the chaise together. They stayed like that for a moment before Allura shifted to face her lover. She held his gaze for several ticks before her eyes flicked to his lips. He seemed to realize what she was thinking, closing the distance to kiss her.

It started slow, cautious. Soon neither of them could hold back any longer, each kiss lasting longer and pressing harder. Eventually the two became heady from lack of oxygen and pulled away to catch their breath.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Can we do this every night for the rest of our lives?"

Allura sat up abruptly, unsure if she'd heard that correctly. "Wait, do you mean-?"

Keith pulled her back down to his side, his thumb brushing lightly across her pink marking. "Don't answer until you can tell me honestly. I'll wait as long as it takes," he offered sincerely. "But for tonight stay with me, please."

If she was being honest he'd have known from the moment she entered his room that she had no intention of sleeping in her own bed that evening. Still she didn't want him to know that, at least not yet. Years from now she'd come clean, long after this became a foggy memory in their shared history.

"I think I can manage that," she answered sleepily. "I'm too tired to go back anyway."

That night Allura slept better than she had since she woke up in the cryopod. Nestled in Keith's arms she dreamed of them together in the new castle ship, a permanent peace allowing them to settle into a new life as a real family. Her decision was already made, but now wasn't the time to act on it. Not while there was a war raging.

The next morning she was awoken by the sound of the phone ringing. The darkness of the room made it impossible to guess the time. She rolled over and grabbed the receiver, mumbling a good morning to the person on the other end.

"Allura, it's Lance!" exclaimed the voice on the line. "Sorry to wake you, I was trying to call Keith's room and they sent me to you by mistake."

Still not alert and forgetful of her situation she simply stretched the cord across her body, tapping Keith on the shoulder until he took it from her hand.

"It's early, what the hell do you want?" he said gruffly, his voice sounding even more sleep addled than her own.

His eyes shot open as the sound of Lance screaming bled into the room. Holding the earpiece as far from his head as his arm would allow, he flinched as other voices joined in asking what Allura could only assume were rather pointed questions. Without responding to any of them Keith simply handed the phone back to her and she returned it to its cradle.

Less than a minute later the phone rang again. Allura simply lifted up the receiver then slammed it back down again before returning to her spot at Keith's side.

The others could complain if they want, but for all she cared she could stay with Keith like this all day.


	2. doesn't stay in Cuba

" _ **What the quiznak!"**_

"Lance, why are you screaming into the phone? What'd Keith say about the arcade?"

"I- I forgot to ask," the blue paladin responded, his eyes not leaving the dial screen on his phone. "Pidge, I think something terrible has happened."

"So terrible you can't remember the reason you called in the first place?"

Right. He'd call again. There must've been a mistake. They were playing a prank on him, that's all. Allura stopped by to pick Keith up for breakfast, nothing more.

Hands shaking he hit redial. The phone operator transferred the call for him, and the line connected. Two rings. Then it disconnected.

"They hung up on me."

Pidge plopped on the couch next to him, leaning over to see what was he was looking at. "So they didn't want to talk to you, big deal."

Lance looked over at Pidge, his response coming out an octave higher than usual. " _THEY_ were asleep. Together. In Keith's room. How could they do that to me?"

The green paladin responded with a shrug, removing her glasses to wipe them on her shirt. "So? It's not like you two were dating or anything. No reason to be upset."

"Oh, like you know what it's like to have a huge crush on someone and them be completely oblivious to it."

Pidge glared at him, responding through clenched teeth. "Allura knows. She's not the idiot who can't see the obvious."

Before he could even huff out a response she propped the lenses back on her nose and skulked off to the back yard, leaving Lance to stew over the perceived betrayal. After a few minutes of mumbling every curse word he knew- in every language he knew- Lance decided to find Hunk. If anyone could help him reason this out it would be his old garrison buddy.

The yellow paladin was hanging out in the guest room, chatting with Shay via SpaceTime. The Balmeran greeted Lance with a smile and a wave, which Lance half-heartedly returned.

Hunk excused himself for a moment, turning to address his sullen friend. "What's wrong Lance? You were all excited about going out just a moment ago. Did Allura say no?"

"Worse than that, I didn't get to ask her!" he exclaimed, arms flailing. "She was asleep. _With Keith_. _**In his bed**_."

Hunk just gave him the look. The exhausted squint-eyed look that replaced the need for the word "idiot". The look that said Lance was overreacting and was probably wrong about everything.

"Uh, Lance," came a voice from the screen. "Perhaps they were simply talking and fell asleep. Hunk and I have often done that after a long night of storytelling."

"There you go," Hunk agreed readily, "Shay makes a perfectly good point."

For the first time in the last ten minutes Lance finally felt like he could breathe again. Always the voice of reason, if anyone would make sense of this it would be another girl. She was probably as repulsed by Keith as Allura was as well.

"Or they mated," she added, as if the idea suddenly struck her. "Keith _is_ quite the catch, he'd make a wonderful life partner."

Lance opened his mouth to argue but quickly closed it. Hunk was a gentle giant about most things, but he was also fiercely protective of his girlfriend. Mumbling a quick thanks Lance left the room, wondering to whom he could talk about his problem. His mom and sister were out shopping, and Matt had gone back to the resort to check on Coran.

 _Eureka!_ If anyone could get to the bottom of this it would be the man who knows Allura best!

Fingers flying he quickly dialed Coran's room. It took six rings before the Altean answered, and when he did Lance thought he was doing a spot-on impression of Kaltenecker. Granted the elder man had fried himself on the beach, every exposed piece of skin a shade close to purple. If Lance felt guilty about disturbing the suffering team advisor he got over it pretty quickly.

"Coran, I need your help! Allura's in trouble!"

The words spilled from his mouth so quickly that he had to repeat them three times. The last time he heard a gasp followed by a loud thunk. That was followed by cursing. That was followed by crying.

A shuffling noise indicated the phone was being moved around. Finally another voice came on the line. It was Matt's.

"Dude, what did you say to him?" he asked somewhat accusatorially. "He tried to rush out of bed and fell. Knocked himself unconscious."

"Oh, ah, right. Nothing serious, just telling him my mom's cooking dinner tonight," Lance responded. "He's been super excited about trying her empanadas."

It was an outright lie but Matt bought it. There was no way Lance was going to give his competition a leg up on rescuing Allura. No, he'd have to rely on someone else. Someone far, far away.

"What do you want, Lance?"

"I didn't say anything! Why are-?"

Shiro sighed loudly, cutting off Lance's question. "Keith called me a while ago and said I'd probably be hearing from you, and that I should probably ignore your call."

 _ **Oh, that does it!**_

"Did he tell you WHY I'd be calling?"

The line went quiet for a moment, prompting Lance to check if the call was still connected. It was.

"Look Lance, they're old enough to do.. _.things_...together," Shiro started, obviously uncomfortable with the discussion. "So, you know, we should, like, leave it alone."

Another voice could now be heard in the background, prompting Shiro to excuse himself for a moment. It sounded vaguely familiar and Lance strained to hear what was being discussed. Soon enough the other person took the phone.

"Lance, this is Krolia. Keith's mother."

"Yeah, I _know_ who you are already," Lance retorted.

If she was put off by his demeanor she didn't acknowledge it. "Shiro has filled me in on the details. I'm going to have to insist you do not interfere with their relationship."

Lance was fed up at this point. He'd been patiently waiting for Allura to notice him, doing everything in his power to win her affection. It simply wasn't fair.

"You can't tell me what to do," he argued, his blood pressure rising with his voice. "Keith isn't all that, you know!"

"Actually he is," she responded sternly, but without a hint of emotion. "As a matter of fact, his father was quite talented and well-"

"Nope! No, no, no. I do not need to hear about Keith's father thankyouverymuch!"

After saying their goodbyes, Lance headed to the kitchen to grab a snack. He'd just sat down at the table when his mom and sister came through the door with several bags of food. They had volunteered to cook for the team that evening so the moment the women walked into the room they were in preparation mode. Empanadas weren't the only items on the menu after all.

As Veronica chopped up some vegetables she looked over to Lance. Growing up she'd always been good at sussing out his feelings. It was a blessing and a curse, especially when it was something he didn't particularly want to discuss with her.

"Spit it out already, pipsqueak."

There it was. Even though he'd been taller than her for quite some time she still teased him just like when he was little. Still he found that he'd missed her taunts the most when they were far from Earth, so much so that he didn't even react when she said it.

"I think Allura and Keith hooked up," he responded, letting his chin drop to the tabletop.

"Good for them!" was the unexpectedly cheerful reply.

Lance jerked back up, curious at her enthusiasm. "Wait, you knew?"

At that she laughed, setting the knife aside lest she cut herself. "Duh! I tried to hit on him yesterday, he was having none of it. He _obviously_ only has eyes for her."

The turn of events left Lance shaking his head in disbelief. "Wait, you have a thing for Keith?"

"Had. Took me five seconds to figure out it was a lost cause," she answered proudly. "I moved on, but not before encouraging him to act on his feelings."

Lance felt deflated. Of all people his very own sister had betrayed him.

"So you're against me too, huh?" he whined, eliciting a strange look from Veronica. "Everyone else blew me off. Shiro, Hunk, Pidge. Nobody is on my side."

Veronica shot a knowing look at their mother before turning back to Lance. "Wait, you complained to Pidge? About Allura?"

"Yeah, I tried to."

"The cute girl with the big brain that for some reason has an obvious crush on you?"

"Yes! The cute girl with the big brain that for some reason... wait. What?"


End file.
